AN ARCHITECTURAL firm from Whitchurch is celebrating after winning two national awards for their recent work on a barn conversion.
Studio Bloc, based in Whixall, has won Best Conversion and Home of the Year in The Daily Telegraph Homebuilding and Renovating Awards.
The firm picked up the prizes for their conversion and extension of a derelict blacksmith’s forge in Whixall on a budget of £85,000.
Whitchurch-native Philip Handley founded Studio Bloc in 2014 after attending Bishop Heber High School in Malpas, before graduating from the University of Manchester with a BA Hons in Architecture, then achieving a first-class honours in his Masters in Architecture at the University of Liverpool.
The Forge by Studio Bloc
Philip says he is delighted to have voted judged the 'best of the best' by the judges.
"We are delighted to have won the two national awards," said Philip. "To win Best Conversion and Home of the Year, which celebrates the most outstanding project entered into the The Daily Telegraph Homebuilding and Renovating Awards, is a huge honour.
The Forge by Studio Bloc
"Each year these awards showcase the very best self-build projects, providing inspiration for those hoping to build their own home.
"Studio Bloc are very proud to have been judged the best of the best.
"The awards are the ultimate 'thank you' to everyone who supported the project and worked on the house."
The Forge by Studio Bloc
Judging the home, architect and competition judge Darren Bray described it as an 'absolute triumph'.
"This conversion and reimagining of a former blacksmith’s forge is an absolute triumph," said the judge. "There’s a wonderful forensic and sympathetic touch here, which sees layers of history unpacked while stitching in new contemporary elements with real skill and determination.
"Delivering this project for £85,000 is a masterclass in how to reinvent an ageing structure; it’s what we should all be doing in response to the climate change emergency.
"This type of project is not for the faint-hearted, and it has been handled with professionalism and nerves of steel!
"Most people would have demolished this building, but Philip and Elly have stayed true to the original and carefully added their contemporary take."
To learn more about Studio Bloc, visit www.studiobloc.co.uk
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